Drumstick



Jan. 19, 1965 H. R. STYS ETAL DRUMSTICK Filed Nov. 27, 1962 INVENTORS ifaro/c/ q. 111/ mam/(y United States Patent Oflice 3,165,964 DRUMSTKCK Harold R. Stys, 3849 W. Barnard Ave, Qaiedonia, Wis, and Marion J. Koniciri, 543i) W. Hayes Ave West Allis, Wis. Filed Nov 27, 1962, Ser. No. 249,296 12 Claims. (Cl. 84-422) T his invention relates generally to drumsticks and more particularly to a coated metal drumstick.

Wood has generally been considered the only acceptable material for drumsticks because of the tonal qualities it produces when used on a drum. Furthermore, drummers have become accustomed to the weight and balance of wooden drumsticks. As a result drumsticks formed of other materials have been found to be unsatisfactory despite the fact that wooden drumsticks frequently fracture while in use often causing damage to the drum itself.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved drumstick that possesses the advantageous characteristics of the wooden drumstick but eliminates its disadvantages.

Another object of the present invention is to provide far more strength in a drumstick by forming it of metal and coating it with a relatively softer material to obtain the tonal qualities produced by wood.

Another object is to provide a coated metal drumstick having substantially the same weight as a wooden drumstick of corresponding size.

A further object is to enable the improved drumstick to serve as a wrench for manipulating the screws which adjust the tension of the skins on the drum.

A further object is to provide an improved drumstick of simple and inexpensive but sturdy construction that is extremely efiicient in operation.

According to this invention the improved drumstick is fabricated of a magnesium alloy which provides the desired strength in the drumstick while corresponding sub stantially to the weight of the conventional wood drumstick. The unsatisfactory tonal qualities produced by a metal drumstick are avoided by coating its entire surface with a softer material, such as a suitable plastic that produces the desired tonal qualities when striking the drum.

The .rear end of the drumstick is provided with a co axial recess of square cross section adapted to engage the squared ends of the screws that are mounted on the drum for adjusting the tension of the drum skins. With this arrangement the improved drumstick also serves as a wrench for the secondary purpose of operating the skin adjusting screws of the drum.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention, which will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof may be achieved by the apparatus herein described by way of example in connection with the illustration of its structural components in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE '1 is an elevational view of a drumstick incorporating the features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear end view on an enlarged scale of the drumstick illustrated in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of the drumstick taken along the plane represented by the line 3 3 in FIGURE 1.

Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings wherein FIG. 1 illustrates a drumstick incorporating the features of the present invention and generally identied by the reference numeral 19. The drumstick 19 is provided with a tip 11 for engagement with the instruments in accordance with normal drumstick construction. As clearly illustrated in FIG. 3, the drumstick 10 is fabricated of a metal body 12 which imparts a strength to the drumstick that is unmatched by the conventional Wooden drumstick and renders the drumstick of the present invention practically unbreakable when used in the normal manner.

Although a metal drumstick has much greater strength than conventional wooden drumsticks the tone produced by the metal contacting a drum is entirely unsatisfactory. This deficiency is overcome in the present invention by providing a coating 13 on the metal body 12, the coating 13 being of a relatively softer material, such as plastic, which will produce the desired tonal qualities,

As is well known in the art, the tension of the skins on the drums must be adjusted by the drummer periodically and this is accomplished by rotating a plurality of screws (not shown) that are disposed about the periphery of the drums and are connected to effect the tensioning of the skins. These screws are provided with squared ends for engagement by a suitable wrench which is provided for this purpose.

Since the drumstick of the present invention is provided with a metal body 12, it may be adapted for manipulating the screws in order to avoid the necessity of carrying a separate wrench for this purpose. To this end, a recess 15 is formed in the rear end of the drumstick =10, opposite the tip 11. The recess 15 extends longitudinally along the axis of the drumstick 1th and is square in cross section, as is clearly shown in :FIG, 2, for receiving the squared end of the drum screws (not shown). With this arrangement,

the drummer may conveniently engage the recess 15 with the squared ends of the drum screws and rotate the drumstick 1! for effecting the desired rotation of the screws to adjust the tension of the drum skins.

Drummers are accustomed to the weight of wooden drumsticks and find that drumsticks which deviate from this weight for a given size are seriously objectionable. Therefore, in order to avoid this objection, the weight of the drumstick of the present invention approximates the weight of a wooden drumstick of corresponding size. To this end, the body 12 is formed of a magnesium alloy which possesses the desired strength with the required light ness in weight.

Although other magnesium alloys will adequately serve the purpose, We have found that an extruded rod formed of a magnesium alloy designated as AZ 31 C is very satisfactory. This alloy contains 3% aluminum, 1% zinc, 2% manganese and the balance magnesium.

The plastic coating 13'may be formed of a variety of materials of suitable toughness and appropriate hardness to provide the desired tonal qualities. We have found that these qualities are achieved by a vinyl plastisol coating at least of an inch thick that is cured to provide a hardness range of Durometer to Durometer.

It has been found preferable to obtain an extremely strong bond between the metal body 12 and the plastic coating 13 by applying a suitable adhesive to the metal body 12 before applying the plastic coating 13. Adhesives for this purpose are well known in the art and it has been found that if a resin based primer is applied to the surface of the metal body 12, the vinyl plastisol bonds very securely to the metal body 12 under heat during the curing process, resulting in an almost inseparable bond. As a result, the plastic coating 13 has no tendency to be displaced relative to the metal body 12 when a torque is applied to the drumstick with the recess 15 in engagement with the squared end of a screw for adjusting the tension of the skins on the drum. Likewise, the plastic coating 13 will remain intact on the metal body d2 despite the rough usage to which it is subjected when utilized for striking the various percussion instruments available to a drummer. On the other hand, when the plastic coating has been marred or damaged it may be stripped from the metal body 12 and the latter covered with another coating of Patented Jan. 19, 1965 6 the plastic 13 to make the drumstick like new again. With this arrangement the metal body 12 may be used indefinitely by replacing the coating 13 which is the only portion that is susceptible to damage during normal use.

From the foregoing detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, it will be apparent that a new and improved drumstick has been provided which possesses far more strength than the conventional wooden drumsticks without deviating substantially from the desirable weight and balance as well as tonal qualities of the Wooden drumstick Although the illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail for the purpose of making a full disclosure of a practical operative arrangement by means of which the invention may be practised, it is to be understood that various novel features of the invention may be incorporated in other arrangements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

The principles of the invention having now been fully explained in connection with the foregoing description of embodying structure, we hereby claim as'our invention:

1. In a drumstick; a metal body shaped in the form of a drumstick; and a plastic coating on said metal body for improving the tone produced by the drumstick when it strikes a percussion instrument.

2. In a drumstick; a body of relatively hard material; and a coating of softer material on said body for improving the tone produced. by the drumstick when it is engaged with a percussion instrument.

3. In a drumstick; a body shaped in the form of a drumstick having a tip at one end and a recess at its opposite end adapted to enable it to serve as a wrench for engagement with the skin adjusting screws of a drum; and a coating of material on said body for improving the tone produced by the drumstick when it strikes a percussion instrurnent.

4. In a drumstick; a metal body shaped in the form of a drumsetick having a tip at one end and a recess at its opposite end adapted to enable it to serve as a wrench for engagement with the skin adjusting screws of the drum; and a plastic coating on said metal body for improving the tone produced by the drumstick when it strikes a percussion instrument.

5. In a drumstick; a body shaped in the form of a drumstick having a tip at one end; wrenching means formed at the opposite end of said body for manipulating the skin adjusting screws of a drum; and a coating of material on said body for improving the tone produced by the drumstick.

6. In a drumstick; a metal body shaped in the form of a drumstick; and a coating on said metal body for improving the tone produced by the drumstick, said coating having a hardness ranging from 85 Durometer to 95 Durometer.

7. In a drumstick; a metal body shaped in the form of a drumstick; and a vinyl plastisol coating at least 4 inch thick on said body for improving the tone produced by the drumstick, said vinyl plastisol coating having a hardness ranging from Durometer to Durometer.

8. In a drumstick; a body formed of a magnesium alloy; and a vinyl plastisol coating on said body; whereby the magnesium alloy imparts the desired strength to the drumstick with a minimum weight and the vinyl plastisol coating improves the tone produced by the drumstick when it strikes a percussion instrument.

9. In a drumstick; a magnesium alloy body shaped in the form of a drumstick' having a tip at one end and a ecess at its opposite end adapted to enable it to serve as a wrench for engagement with the skin adjusting screws of the drum; and a vinyl plastisol coating on said body; whereby the magnesium alloy imparts the desired strength to the drumstick while having a minimum weight and the vinyl plastisol coating improves the tone produced by the drumstick.

10. In a d-rumstick; a metal body shaped in the form of a drumstick; a plastic coating on said metal body for improving the tone produced by the drumstick; and an adhesive between the surface of said body and said plastic coating for securely adhering the plastic coating to said body.

11. In a drumstick; a body formed of a magnesium alloy; a vinyl plastisol coating on said body for improving the tone produced by the drumstick, said vinyl plastisol coating having a hardness ranging from 85 Durometer to 95 Durometer; and an adhesive between the surface of said body and said vinyl plastisol coating for securely adhering said coating to said body.

12. In a drumstick; a metal body shaped in the form of a drumstick having a tip at one end; wrenching means formed at the opposite end of said body for maniplating the skin adjusting screws of a drum; a vinyl plastisol coating on said body for improving the tone produced by the drumstick, said vinyl plastisol coating having a hardness ranging from S5 Durometer to 95 Durometer; and an adhesive between the surface of said body and said vinyl plastisol coating for securely adhering said coating to said body.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES The Music Trades, magazine article, New Plastic Drumsticks, page 70 (84-422), July 1959. 

11. IN A DRUMSTICK; A BODY FORMED OF A MAGNESIUM ALLOY; A VINYL PLASTISOL COATING ON SAID BODY FOR IMPROVING THE TONE PRODUCED BY THE DRUMSTICK, SAID VINYL PLASTISOL COATING HAVING A HARDNESS RANGING FROM 85 DUROMETER TO 95 DUROMETER; AND AN ADHESIVE BETWEEN THE SURFACE OF SAID 